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The association between dietary inflammatory potential and risk of total and site-specific colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 February 2025

Ali Nikparast Open the ORCID record for Ali Nikparast [Opens in a new window] ,
Elahe Etesami ,
Mahshad Shafiee ,
Fatemeh Javaheri-Tafti ,
Arefeh Mohajerani  and
Matin Ghanavati Open the ORCID record for Matin Ghanavati [Opens in a new window]
Ali Nikparast
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition Science and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Elahe Etesami
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mahshad Shafiee
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition Science and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Fatemeh Javaheri-Tafti
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition Science and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Arefeh Mohajerani
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Matin Ghanavati*
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition Science and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
*
Corresponding author: Matin Ghanavati; Email: matina_844@yahoo.com
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Abstract

In the last decades, it has been well known that low-grade inflammation plays a potential role in the pathogenesis of different cancers. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies was to evaluate the association between inflammatory potential of diet measured through the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), Energy-adjusted DII (E-DII), Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Pattern (EDIP), the Inflammatory Score of Diet (ISD), and risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) and site-specific colon cancer. A systematic electronic search of PubMed/Medline, Scopus, the Web of Sciences and reference lists up to 21 November 2023 was performed. Data were pooled by the generic inverse variance method using random effect model. To assess the heterogeneity of included studies, the I2 index was used. A total of twenty-eight original studies, comprising 2 287 836 participants, were selected to include in this meta-analysis. Pooled results showed a significant association between higher adherence to pro-inflammatory diet and increased risk of CRC (effect size (ES): 1·39; 95 % CI 1·29, 1·51; I2 = 82·9 %), colon (ES: 1·40; 95 % CI 1·26, 1·55; I² = 73·3 %, P< 0·01), proximal colon (ES: 1·28; 95 % CI 1·17, 1·40; I² = 29·1 %), distal (ES: 1·50; 95 % CI 1·30, 1·74; I² = 63·5 %) and rectal (ES: 1·46; 95 % CI 1·23, 1·74; I² = 80 %). Stratified analysis by type of dietary indices noted that greater adherence to the DII, E-DII and EDIP were related to significant increase in the risk of overall CRC and site-specific colon cancers. Our results highlighted the proposed role of inflammatory potential of diet as important risk factor for CRC. Adherence to an anti-inflammatory dietary pattern should be recommended to reduce incidence of CRC, globally.

Keywords

Dietary Inflammatory IndexEmpirical Dietary Inflammatory PatternInflammatory indicatorsColorectal cancer
Type
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 133 , Issue 4 , 28 February 2025 , pp. 507 - 521
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society

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